Removing ceramic tap heads

[pappyon]

The tap heads on my bathroom suite are made of ceramic and are glued on to red and blue plastic covers which fit over the tap body to identify the hot and cold supply.

Personally I don't think the tap heads should have been glued on to the plastic covers, but it would appear this was done so the heads wouldn't turn on the plastic when the taps were being turned.

My question is how do I remove the tap heads without cracking or breaking them. They are as tight as if they had been screwed on!

 

[tonybhoy]

They're push fit just pull them off.

 

[pappyon]

I have tried to pull them off and they won't budge. They are solid!

As I said they are as tight as if they were on with screws

 

[tonybhoy]

Generally the ones you describe are held onto the plastic tap covers with two rubber o rings on the plastic covers over time they can be difficult to remove to you might need to force them by sticking a screwdriver under the front and use the tap to force the ceramic cover up ,if you catch my drift?

Of course they may be completely different from what I think you are describing but if there is no obvious place where a screw is concealed then they are as I describe above or there is a piece of the ceramic cover near the top that simply screws off to reveal the securing screws underneath and again this is not obvious because of age etc

 

[EliteHeat]

There is probably a grub screw holding them in - usually at the back of the taap.

 

[pappyon]

tonybhoy
They are not as you describe I'm afraid. The reason I know this is not longer after the bathroom suite was fitted one of the bath tap heads lifted right off when it was being turned, and that's when I saw the hardened glue on the plastic cover.

It would appear to me that the plastic identifiers were pushed on to the body of the taps, some sort of glue applied and then the tap heads were pushed on to the plastic covers.

I can positively assure you the heads are SOLID CERAMIC, without a lift off or screw off top to gain access to any screw and there are definitely no grub screws or retainers of any kind holding them on.

I can assure everybody that these tap heads are as soid as though they had been welded on!

Had the heads not been glued on to the plastic identifiers which sit over the body of the taps they would have lifted off easily. As I said they have probably been glued to stop them turning on these plactic covers.

It is the stupidest idea I have ever seen

 

[pappyon]

The tap heads are very much like the 10th one down here:

http://www.tapsandshowers2go.co.uk/...=bristan+tap&x=0&y=0&kw=bristan taps&fl=73310

Only difference is that there is only one flute on the head for gripping instead of the three or four on the one illustrated

 

[tonybhoy]

Definitely push fit.

Probably Armitage shanks.

The plastic identifiers (sic) are screwed onto the tap valve spindle and the ceramic heads are then pushed on to those and held in place with two rubber o rings.

The bath one you refer to has probably been repaired by someone using some sort of glue in the past.

Just pull the ceramic heads straight up not the whole thing including the plastic identifiers.

http://www.homesupply.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=S7010


http://www.fastpart-spares.co.uk/viewproduct.asp?P=E595001



http://www.fastpart-spares.co.uk/viewproduct.asp?P=E960187NU

 

[pappyon]

This was a bathroom suite we had fitted about 8 years ago, and the incident where the tap head came loose was not long after the job had been done. Perhaps the plumber had lost the o rings you refer to and just used glue to hold it on. In actual fact his workmanship was not of high quality!

I much appreciate the time and trouble everybody has gone to to assist me including yourself!

If I could pick your brains one more time. What could be causing the hot water basin tap to show increased resistance just before it is turned fully off. The fact the tap head is ceramic and hard to grip especially when wet only makes this problem worse

My wife who has arthritis in her hands has to put a towel over the tap to help the purchase!

Is this due to the washer being kaput or is it a fault in the tap spindle mechanism?

 

[Softus]

What could be causing the hot water basin tap to show increased resistance just before it is turned fully off.

Probably some crud got up into the gland body.

The fact the tap head is ceramic and hard to grip especially when wet only makes this problem worse

Personally I think that whoever designed those handles should be shot. I detest them, and my heart sinks whenever I come across them, because the spline adaptors are hard to come by, and Bristan charge the earth + postage for replacement parts.

My wife who has arthritis in her hands has to put a towel over the tap to help the purchase!

You have my sympathy. I advocate replacing the taps with something she can use, then ritually destroying the old ones.

 

[tonybhoy]

This was a bathroom suite we had fitted about 8 years ago, and the incident where the tap head came loose was not long after the job had been done. Perhaps the plumber had lost the o rings you refer to and just used glue to hold it on. In actual fact his workmanship was not of high quality!

I much appreciate the time and trouble everybody has gone to to assist me including yourself!

If I could pick your brains one more time. What could be causing the hot water basin tap to show increased resistance just before it is turned fully off. The fact the tap head is ceramic and hard to grip especially when wet only makes this problem worse

My wife who has arthritis in her hands has to put a towel over the tap to help the purchase!

Is this due to the washer being kaput or is it a fault in the tap spindle mechanism?

You need a new internal valve.

You can re-grease them with vaseline but often that is only a short term solution.

Armitage shanks ones are extortionate so much so in fact you would probably be better off doing as Softus said and replacing the taps

Cheers,

Tony.

 

[Softus]

You need a new internal valve.

How do you recommend he replaces the 'internal valve', given that the handle won't come off?

Armitage shanks ones are extortionate

That's just nonsense. I bought 10 A/S compatible valve bodies on Friday, and they cost me about £4 each.

 

[pappyon]

Quote:
"You need a new internal valve."

When you say that do you mean they are not like conventional taps which have a washer attached to a jumper, or have I picked you up wrong?

They are Bristan taps by the way. Supposed to be gold plated, but I take that with a pinch of salt.

I have tried again to get these tap heads off, and no way am I going to get them off without using force eg a screwdriver underneath the head. If I break one, they cost £10.95 each on the net, not counting post and packing.

I agree entirely with the poster who says these taps are extortionate to buy! If that's what a head costs, how much would it cost for a complete tap?

There was nothing to beat the old style crosshead taps.

 

[Softus]

They are Bristan taps by the way.

We already knew that

I have tried again to get these tap heads off, and no way am I going to get them off without using force eg a screwdriver underneath the head. If I break one, they cost £10.95 each on the net, not counting post and packing.

Well I don't know why you just don't go ahead and buy new handles. Which are called handles, BTW, not heads.

I agree entirely with the poster who says these taps are extortionate to buy!

He was talking about valve bodies, not handles. And £10.95 isn't a bad price for a ceramic head, it's just a bad price for something your wife can't use.

If that's what a head costs, how much would it cost for a complete tap?

Clearly that depends on the tap. A half-decent Bristan basin monobloc would cost you about £50.

There was nothing to beat the old style crosshead taps.

I don't know why you just don't go and buy some new handles then.

 

[tonybhoy]

You need a new internal valve.

How do you recommend he replaces the 'internal valve', given that the handle won't come off?

Armitage shanks ones are extortionate

That's just nonsense. I bought 10 A/S compatible valve bodies on Friday, and they cost me about £4 each.

Fairly easy for a plumber to take the handle off .You either take it off easily and reuse it or you take it off with brute force and replace it but either way it has to come to effect a repair.Correct?

Thought that would have been obvious so someone with even a modicum of technical ability far less someone like you with your superior skills that you like to tell everyone about.

AS compatible, as in cheapos?

Not actually an Armitage Shanks manufactured part then which are about £35 plus vat the pair for quarter turn tap internals.

Cheaper to replace the entire taps with new given that you can buy a pair of basin taps for about a £7?

A simple yes or no will suffice.